Slot will be dismissed if he cannot 'answer' 5 questions

Liverpool appeared to have regained form following their Champions League victory, but they suffered a defeat last weekend. At this point, manager Arne Slot must quickly address the following 5 critical problems if he hopes to steer the club out of trouble and keep his job.

1. The defense must regain its solidity

In the 2024/25 season, the defense played a major role in Liverpool’s Premier League title run. However, Slot’s changes this season—letting Trent leave and benching Andy Robertson—have caused unexpected issues for the club. The once-solid defense has now become Liverpool’s biggest concern. They have conceded 14 goals in just 9 matches, more than four times the number at the same stage last season.

You cannot win a title with a defense that leaks goals everywhere and collapses at the slightest pressure. Everyone sees that their ability to defend set pieces has declined from a strength to a weakness. Goalkeepers’ save rates have also dropped, especially with Alisson sidelined due to injury. Defending from distance has become a clear problem as The Kop easily allows opponents to exploit spaces behind the backline. Many critiques target Konate’s form, which may be valid, but clearly Van Dijk is struggling too. Age has dulled Van Dijk’s sharpness. Joe Gomez, a perfect backup option for Liverpool, is rarely used by Slot for some reason.

2. The full-back dilemma

One cause of Liverpool’s system imbalance is the full-back issue, which used to be a pride of The Kop. On the right flank, Liverpool brought in Frimpong to replace Trent, but the Dutch star seems confused about whether he should play as a winger, wide forward, or another role. It’s time for Slot to 'train' Frimpong to be like Trent or to rely more on Bradley.

On the left, new signing Milos Kerkez, expected to replace Andy Robertson, has yet to fully adapt. Kerkez’s excellence at Bournemouth has disappeared since joining Liverpool. The Hungarian star frequently makes mistakes, appears insecure, and despite recently scoring, was criticized by Jamie Redknapp for “playing like a panicked player.”

Liverpool’s recent defeats share a common issue: both flanks fail to provide reliable defense and attack, putting the team under pressure from many angles. With opponents exploiting this weakness thoroughly, Liverpool’s dropped points are understandable. Slot sees this but apparently has not found a solution yet.

3. What should Slot do with Salah?

This is a tough question with no clear answer at the moment. It’s sensitive. For the past 7 years, Salah has been an untouchable icon at Anfield. He was very consistent from Klopp’s era through Slot’s first year at Liverpool. But now, his performance has clearly declined. After 9 matches in the Premier League, Salah has only scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists, his lowest output since joining Liverpool.

That number is actually “normal” for a winger, but given Salah’s caliber and salary, it’s definitely a disappointing stat for anyone. Before scoring against Brentford, Salah had gone 7 consecutive games without scoring from open play, his worst streak at Liverpool.

Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer transfer window means Salah no longer has a close partner on the right wing. Additionally, signs of aging are showing in him. Now, to stop Salah, all you need is a strong, persistent marker, and the Egyptian star is almost neutralized. His pace still looks fast but has actually slowed down considerably compared to his own previous self.

4. Isak or Ekitike?

Liverpool spent over £200 million on these two strikers, but it seems they bought problems rather than boosting their attack. Alexander Isak has yet to score since his expensive and high-profile transfer, and worse, he confuses coach Slot because Liverpool also has another striker with a similar style, Hugo Ekitike.

Slot’s and the board’s choices are puzzling. Compared to Isak, Ekitike has performed much better. But dropping Isak entirely to trust the French striker fully is something Slot hasn’t dared to do. Excluding Isak would be like “throwing money away.” He needs to find a way to integrate both on the field. If successful, The Kop would have a very versatile attack. But so far, Slot remains stuck on this difficult problem. He needs time, but no one knows when. Sometimes people wonder if Slot is truly talented or just lucky so far.

5. Helping Florian Wirtz shine even brighter

Among the new signings, Wirtz is the most anticipated as Liverpool wants him to upgrade the midfield. Though not yet explosive, the German midfielder ranks among the Premier League’s top chance creators this season. We can say Wirtz is not yet as good as at Leverkusen, but if we say he is only disappointing, that would be an exaggeration.

Wirtz’s problem is partly bad luck, as his attacking partners are struggling to convert chances into goals. If Salah or Isak performed well in their roles, Wirtz would not face so much criticism. Slot needs to fully “unlock” Wirtz rather than letting his expensive pupil remain inconsistent as now. Success for both Slot and Wirtz would ease all issues. Otherwise, if Liverpool continues poor results, Slot will be fired.

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